PHIL MERRIMAN

PIANO / KEYBOARD

Emergence

‘Emergence‘ is a new project written and led by Phil Merriman on piano and synths. From beats to Bartók and synths to strings, the music draws on influences from Jazz and R&B, to Classical and Indian genres.

Biography

Phil is a piano/keys player, composer and arranger based in London. He has had the privilege of working alongside musicians and artists in a wide variety of contexts across the UK and abroad. Phil has performed with artists such as Alice Zawadzki, Aref Durvesh (Sting), Brendan B. Brown (Wheatus), CeCe Peniston, Dawn Robinson (En Vogue/Lucy Pearl) and Shola Ama. He has recorded with artists including pianist John Taylor, trumpeter Matt Gough, bassist Andy Cleyndert, drummer Simon Roth, and longtime collaborator Raph Clarkson (trombone). Phil has performed in BBC Proms Plus events, including an improvisation and poetry workshop with BBC Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan. He has also led education projects alongside Dennis Rollins and Pete Churchill (Professor of Jazz, Royal Academy of Music).

Phil is in demand as a music educator and co-directs Be Creative Music, a groove and songwriting workshop company. Be Creative Music successfully gained Arts Council Funding in 2014 for a project reaching over 3500 participants across the London Borough of Merton. In 2015, Phil was headhunted to work alongside Pete Churchill to deliver songwriting workshops; composing for over 1200 children and 3 adult choirs, orchestrating for big band and string orchestra, and conducting at the Royal Albert Hall.

He holds a Performance Diploma in Piano (ABRSM) and was awarded the Ed Burrell Prize for Performance while studying Music at the University of York. He teaches in London, Sussex and at the University of York.